tidying up an engine bay before I drop motor back in, want to fill in all unused bolt holes etc, what is going to be the best long term fix! never been a bog user, will this hold or will I need to look at another route!
clangie,
May 17, 9:07am
fill with weld on small ones and cut steel to size and weld to fill big ones, grind back,smooth with filler and prep and paint. same as if your shaving door handles,fuel caps and tray hook holes on utes
gunhand,
May 17, 9:08am
Unless you can get a fill either side of the hole I say no. Or you have a deepish hollow to fill it will but just a small circle no as there isnt really enought to hold it. It may for a while but thin it will move one day causing w we circle in ya paint. If you put a backing on it it may well hold but if you going to these lenghts you may as well spot weld grind off then fill.
fordcrzy,
May 17, 9:09am
use pop rivets if the welding seems a bit of a major. paint the heads body colour. use good quality ones and dip them in primer just before you put them in so they form a good seal on the hole to prevent them becoming a rust trap.
franc123,
May 17, 9:10am
In the past I've used a combo of screwing bolts into the holes with machine threads, with some loctite or other locking fluid, and grinding the heads off flush, or in the case of plain holes just gently migging them up on a low power setting and grinding the welds smooth.For larger holes just make up plates and weld them in, again if you grind the welds back flush and use a skim of filler if needed it won't look out of place.
gunhand,
May 17, 9:19am
Ive spent days in engine bays, long boring tricky awkward work but forfilling in the end.
xacoon,
May 17, 9:23am
hmmm looks like I might have to get my hands on a decent welder then. only usually weld heavy shit not panel steel, arc. yeh gunhand I want to spend a bit of time on it while the engine is out, I think a good clean smooth engine bay makes a car.
johnf_456,
May 17, 9:24am
Nice, what sort of car is it xacoon! Picture!
gunhand,
May 17, 9:24am
You suddenly find many many creases and hollows in them.
roys351,
May 17, 9:36am
if it is xa xb xc i have seen some very nasty factory welds. the holes from old cng/lpg fittings i mig they turn out great. but there are ripples and crease marks on strut towers from factory but if its a cleavland theres not that much engine bay to see
franc123,
May 17, 9:37am
What may work OK if you don't want to buy or can't borrow a cheap MIG welder would be to use some of that fibre/aluminium reinforced filler like Newtech, if you haven't used it before its a heck of a lot stronger and harder than normal bog.If for say filling a hole in an inner guard you could abrade an area about the size of a 50c piece underneath it and apply it and sand the area where the filler has oozed through on the engine bay side.If you were using a normal underseal in the wheelarches and inner guards you wouldn't see it.
mrfxit,
May 17, 9:39am
Yep mig welder with argon setup correctly with the right wire & tips etc for light panel. Anything else will be harder work.
Cut panels for the larger holes & spot weld both sides Even the small holes that can be done without a filler panel should be spotted both sides. Thats if you really do want a long term secure & clean job.
xacoon,
May 17, 9:43am
have actully thought of just getting a piece of steel and covering the whole section of engine bay in question. it has, grooves, for want of a better word, can only assume were for strengthening, would like to cover them up too, would cover the ripples up that way too!
xacoon,
May 17, 9:45am
not too worried about strut towers, going to be a 250 2v going in her so left hand side is pretty visible. good wee donkeys, toying with the idea of a hair drier at some stage. first things first though.
xacoon,
May 17, 9:48am
thats the stuff I was thinking of, was just worried about longevity thats all, dont plan on selling, had her for a while, gunna be a while more.
gunhand,
May 17, 9:52am
Newtech is ok if you get a fill either side of the hole but its hard going and you will prob have to do a smooth of normal filler over it. The few times ive used it I let it set then sand it off with 24grit paper disc on the grinder then fill over.
xacoon,
May 17, 9:55am
what about the tin over option! doable! or just a simple farm boys #8 wire method! haha
roys351,
May 17, 10:03am
most people that are looking at xa -c if that is what it it is would shreik poorly repared accident damage when they dont see the fact swages prob spelt that wrong but thats what the grooves are . and if it has to go thru re regis considered structual so dont go there unless you want to devalue your car
xacoon,
May 17, 10:08am
it is the last in line if any ever do get sold, xa sedan, but surely that would be strengthening structurally! i dont want to chop the old steel out, just want a sweet engine bay. bouncing for ideas, there is no bad ones haha
johnf_456,
May 17, 10:16am
What sort of car is xacoon, got any pictures, sounds like a good project
gunhand,
May 17, 10:16am
Ive done shit loads of engine bays never had anyone come back saying they couldnt get it rego'd, warrent or whatever. I dont think many of the people looking would know what crease was where in a 70s coon somehow. If you were after a truly concoures car maybe you would leave them. And none iv done have devalue the car in anyway. If worried take before during and after photos.And I dont recommend grinding these areas flat, just filling them.
Oh, and if your doing abit of this buy one of those air pistol type air sanders that take a 3inch or so sanding discs. Cheap as on TM and very handy for many things.
johnf_456,
May 17, 10:19am
Not true
roys351,
May 17, 10:21am
you are right it would be stronger but thats not what they look at they only see it as a mod
roys351,
May 17, 10:24am
i doso it must mean its at least partly true please dont get upset i know how tender you are
johnf_456,
May 17, 10:26am
If the job is done properly it is not an issue, there is not like a professional looking engine bay. See gunhands post as well I back him up as well. And No I am not tender.
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